On the Economy of Machinery and Manufactures

by Charles Babbage

Overview

In this famous book, first published in 1832, Charles Babbage (1791–1871), the mathematician, philosopher, engineer and inventor who originated the concept of a programmable computer, surveys manufacturing practices and discusses the political, moral and economic factors affecting them. The book met with hostility from the publishing industry on account of Babbage's analysis of the manufacture and sale of books. Babbage describes the many different printing processes of the time, analyses the costs of book production and explains the publication process, before discussing the 'too large' profit margins of booksellers. Babbage succeeded in his aim 'to avoid all technical terms, and to describe in concise language', making this an eminently readable historical account. His analysis and promotion of mechanisation and efficient 'division of labour' (still known as the 'Babbage principle') continue to resonate strongly for modern industrial engineering.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9783734086977
Publisher:	Outlook Verlag
Publication date:	09/25/2019
Pages:	230
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.69(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Introduction; 1. Sources of the advantages arriving from machinery and manufactures; 2. Accumulating power; 3. Regulating power; 4. Increase and diminution of velocity; 5. Extending time of action of forces; 6. Saving time in natural operations; 7. Exerting forces too great for human power; 8. Registering operations; 9. Economy of materials employed; 10. Of the identity of the work when it is of the same kind; 11. Of copying; 12. On the method of observing manufactories; 13. On the difference between making and manufacturing; 14. On the influence of verification upon price; 15. On the influence of durability on price; 16. On price, as measured by money; 17. Of raw materials; 18. Of the division of labour; 19. On the division of mental labour; 20. On the separate cost of each process in a manufacture; 21. On the causes and consequences of large factories; 22. On the position of great factories; 23. On over-manufacturing; 24. Inquiries previous to commencing any manufactory; 25. On contriving machinery; 26. Proper circumstances for the application of machinery; 27. On the duration of machinery; 28. On combination amongst masters or workmen against each other; 29. On combinations of masters against the public; 30. On the effect of taxes; 31. On the exportation of machinery; 32. On the future prospects of manufactures, as connected with science.